This invention relates to camera and flash systems, and particularly to a means for powering such systems for use with liquid crystal thermography.
In the field of instant photography, some cameras are powered by a battery contained in the film pack itself. One example of such cameras are those manufactured by Polaroid Corporation.
The battery-containing film packages include those sold under the designation 600 by Polaroid Corporation. The battery powers the electric film transport, the camera shutter, any autofocusing circuitry in the camera, and the built-in flash unit of the camera. Such film packs typically include film for ten instant pictures.
Medical thermography involves the process of measuring the temperature of a patient's skin. Cold spots can indicate areas of decreased circulation, while hot spots may indicate inflammation, injury, or cancer. Liquid crystal displays have been particularly useful in medical thermography. Such displays typically include a color-changing liquid crystal material that is sensitive to skin temperature variations of fractions of a degree centigrade. The display is preferably a flexible sheet that may be placed in contact with a patient's skin. By noting the color patterns on the opposite side, a physician may determine the skin temperature at various places on the patient's body.
Because the colored liquid crystal pattern indicating the skin temperature of the patient is transitory in nature, and disappears when the apparatus is removed from the direct contact with the patient's skin, it is desirable to provide a permanent record of the pattern generated by the liquid crystal screen. One appropriate method for generating such a pattern is by photography. Because of the environment in which this diagnostic procedure takes place, and because of the light refracting properties of the liquid crystal display, it is generally necessary to provide artificial lighting, such as an electronic flash, when taking a picture of the liquid crystal display screen. The electronic flash units are typically powered by household alternating current or by a separate battery pack, both of which decrease the portability of the unit and render its use less than convenient.